Reversible coilable partition



June 24, 1969 H. M. LYMAN 3,451,463

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June 24, 1969 H. M. LYMAN REVERSIBLE COILABLE PARTITION Sheet 3 of 3 Filed 001;. 22, 1965 Z6 INVENTOR. 27a. 7 Hz/0H M LYMAN BY Md 0' A azur.

United States Patent 3,451,463 REVERSIBLE COILABLE PARTITION Hugh M. Lyman, 2352 East 6275 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84121 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 502,265 Int. Cl. E06b 9/14, 9/204, 9/36 US. Cl. 160-23 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coilable curtain or partition for multi-purpose rooms, adapted to be coiled on a vertical spool, having reversible motor means for coiling and uncoiling the curtain through a single cable and pulley system, characterized by means for insuring constant uniform speed of movement of the curtain in both directions, including clutch means permitting the spool to rotate freely during the uncoiling operation, and double cone variable speed drive means imparting a variable speed to the spool during winding to compensate for the increasing diameter occasioned by the stored portion of the partition or cutain.

This invention relates to an improved reversible opening and closing coilable curtain or partition for multipurpose rooms, and more particularly to a constant speed mechanical or electrical drive mechanism therefor,

An object of the invention is to provide an improved reversible opening and closing coilable slatted curtain or partition for multi-purpose rooms which will be supported on a spool-core flange while in storage and with roller hangers in an overhead track while extended and being used and which may be actuated either by mechanical means, such as by a crank, or by an electric reversible motor for opening and closing the curtain or partition at a constant speed as it is moved from or to its coiled position upon its storage spool flange.

Another object of the invention is to provide a constant curtain or partition speed during both coiling and uncoiling operations, free wheeling of the storage spool being permitted during the uncoiling operation, and variable speed being imparted to the spool during coiling to compensate for the increased diameter of the spool caused by the stored portion of the curtain or partition.

The invention consists essentially of a flexible partition or curtain .adapted to be coiled on a vertical spool, a single cable and pulley arrangement permitting movement in both directions, driven by a reversible motor, a double cone clutch arrangement connected to the drum for constant speed drive of the drum in the uncoiling direction and variable speed drive of the spool in the opposite direction to compensate for the increased spool diameter occasioned by coiled or stored material, clutch means being provided to permit free wheeling of either drum or spool depending upon the direction of drive.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reversible variable speed-changer for a reversible opening and closing coilable curtain or partition for multi-purpose rooms which can be easily removed for repairs by merely interchanging units.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved reversible opening and closing coilable curtain or partition for multi-purpose rooms which will be highly efiicient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings in which form a part of my application:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of my improved reversible variable speed-changer for a coilable curtain or partition for multipurpose rooms;

3,451,463 Patented June 24, 1969 FIGURE 2 is a view taken on the line 22 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the traveling nut with ballbearing supporting arms;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the cable drum with standard speed reducer and drive therefor;

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of the coilable curtain or partition with cable connection thereto and cable drum drive therefor;

FIGURE 6 is a view of the reversible variable speedchanger, worm speed reducer which drives the spool-core, and chain drive as taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 7 is a front view of the drive assembly including the reversible variable speed-changer, drum cable with its speed reducer, motor, worm. speed reducer on the spool drive shaft, limit switches, traveling nut, slip clutch, and drive chain.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out my invention, I provide an improved reversible horizontally opening and closing coilable curtain or partition 1 formed of interconnected slats 2, and a lead stile 3 housed in a vertical housing 4, and provided with a slot 5 through which the curtain or partition 1 may be extended or rolled up into the housing 4. The curtain or partition pulling cable 6 is secured to the opposite ends of the lead stile 3 and extends over the guide pulleys 7 and 8, and is secured at its opposite end to the cable drum 9 which in turn is secured to the shaft 10 mounted in the bearings 11 on a portion of the housing 4. A slip clutch 12 is mounted on the shaft 10 and permits free wheeling of the cable drum 9 on the shaft 10, and is tensioned by the coil spring 13. A brake 14 is also mounted on the drum, and a spur gear 15 is affixed to the opposite end of the shaft 10, and is connected by the chain 16 to a spur gear 17 on the speed reducer 18.

The drive assembly for the cable drum 9 comprises opposite side frame members 19 and 20 and an adjustable end frame member 21, all of which are supported in the housing 4. A pair of spaced shafts 22 and 23 are mounted for rotation between the spaced side .frame members 19 and 20, and support the two inverted cone pulleys 24 and 25, respectively, which are keyed to said shafts. A pulley 26 is fixed on the end of shaft 23, and is driven through the belt 27 from a pulley 28 on the reversible electric motor 29, whose operation is controlled by a key switch (not shown). A socket 30 is secured to one end of the shaft 22 for the reception of a hand crank (not shown), if the device is to be manually operated. A shaft or screw 31 is rotatably supported between the spaced frame members 19 and 20 intermediate the cone pulleys 24 and 25, and supports the nuts 32 which support the two sets of oppositely extending push-pull arms 33 and upon the outer ends of which are mounted the anti-friction rollers 34 engageable with the surface of the cone pulleys 24 and 25. The shaft 22 is a variable speed shaft being driven through cone 24 by the two V- belts 35, which connect it with cone 25 and drive shaft 23. Two sets of push-pull arms 33 are required as they change functions when the direction of rotation of the shaft or screw 31 is reversed. The nuts 32 move along the shaft or screw 31 because the engagement of push-pull arms 33 with cone pulleys 24 and 25 will not let them turn with it. The length of travel of the nuts 32 on the shaft or screw 31 is controlled by the limit switches 36 and 37, as shown in FIGURE 7 of the drawings.

S pur gear 38 on shaft 23 drives the change gears 39 which are keyed together on a bushing so they can run free on the shaft or screw 31. This set of change gears running free on the shaft or screw 31 drives the set of change gears 40 that are keyed together on a bushing which runs free on the shaft 23. This second set of change gears 40 drives the change gear 41 which is keyed to the shaft or screw 31 so as to drive shaft or screw 31 at the desired rate of speed change.

A sprocket 42 on shaft 23 drives a similar sprocket on the shaft of the speed reducer 18 through the chain 43, while the sprocket 44 on the shaft 22 drives the worm gear speed reducer 45 through the chain 46 and similar sprocket on the shaft of said speed reducer.

The speed reducer 45 is connected through the flexible coupling 47 to the screw shaft 48 upon which the traveling unit 49 is threaded and is kept from turning by means of the forked plate 50, The nut 49 carries the pusher disks 51 and 51' for operating the limit switches 36 and 37, respectively. A spring tensioned slip clutch 53 is connected with the screw shaft 48 and carries a sprocket 54 which drives the chain 55 to a sprocket 56 on the shaft 57 of the flanged spool-core 58 upon which the curtain or partition 1 is wound for moving out of and into the housing 4 through the slot 5.

In the use and operation of the device when it is desired to uncoil the partition, motor 29 is energized in one direction. Shaft 23, through sprocket 42, chain 43, speed reducer 18, chain 16 and clutch 12 rotates drum 9 at a constant speed and through cable 6 draws partition 1 smoothly and evenly across the room. Spool 58 is meanwhile free wheeling by virtue of clutch 53.

When however it is desired to coil the partition, the motor is energized in the opposite direction. Shaft 23, through cone 25, belts 3'5 and cone 24 drives variable speed shaft 22 which, through speed reducer 45, shaft 48, clutch 53 and chain 55 rotates spool 58 at a variable speed. The variation in speed is effected by linear movement of belts 35, which in turn is effected by linear movement of nuts 32 occasioned by rotation of shaft 31. This rotation is in turn effected by gears 38 and 39. During movement in this direction clutch 12 permits drum 9 to free wheel.

Thus compensation is made for the increased diameter of spool 58 by successive layers of partition coiled thereon and the curtain or partition coils at a smooth and even speed.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a reversible opening and closing coilable curtain or partition for multi-purpose rooms, comprising: a housing, a spool-core in said housing, a curtain or partition coilably supported on said spool-core, a cable drum mounted in said housing, a cable attached to the lead stile of said curtain or partition and windable on said drum, means including a two-coned-pulley variable speed changer, belt drive therefore, and interconnected speed reducers for rotating said spool-core at a variable speed and cable drum at constant speed while moving said curtain or partition into and out of said housing, and a reversible motor for driving said spool-core and cable drum,

2. In a reversible opening and closing coilable curtain or partition for multi-purpose rooms, comprising: a housing, a spool-core in said housing, a curtain or partition coilably supported on said spool-core, a cable drum mounted in said housing, a cable attached to the lead stile of said curtain or partition and windable on said drum, means including a two-coned-pulley variable speed changer, belt drive therefor, and interconnected speed reducers for rotating said spool-core and cable drum at constant speeds while moving said curtain or partition into and out of said housing, a reversible motor for driving said spool-core and cable drum, and limit switches for limiting the movement of said curtain or partition into and out of said housing.

3. In a reversible opening and closing coilable curtain or partition for multi-purpose rooms, comprising: a housing, a spool-core in said housing, a curtain or partition coilably supported on said spool-core, a cable drum mounted in said housing, a cable attached to the lead stile of said curtain or partition and windable on said drum, means including a two-coned-pulley variable speed changer, belt drive therefor, and interconnected speed reducers for rotating said spool-core and cable drum at constant speeds while moving said curtain or partition into and out of said housing, a reversible motor for driving said spool-core and cable drum, limit switches for limiting the movement of said curtain or partition into and out of said housing, and a brake on the shaft of said cable drum for tensioning said cable while the same is being wound on said cable drum.

4. In a reversible opening and closing coilable curtain or partition for multi-purpose rooms, comprising: a housing, a spool-core in said housing, a curtain or partition coilably supported on said spool-core, a cable drum mounted in said housing, a cable attached to the lead stile of said curtain or partition and windable on said drum, means including a two-coned-pulley variable speed changer, belt drive therefor, and interconnected speed reducers for rotating said spool-core and cable drum at constant speeds while moving said curtain or partition into and out of said housing, a reversible motor for driving said spool-core and cable drum, limit switches for limiting the movement of said curtain or partition into and out of said housing, a brake on the shaft of said cable drum for tensioning said cable while the same is being wound on said cable drum, and a threaded shaft with a nut movable thereon and push-pull arms carried by said nut engaging said belt drive to control the operation of said variable speed changer and rotation of said spool-core and cable drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,934,139 4/ 1960 Wardlaw et al -26 2,978,019 4/1961 Carlo 160-23 3,019,450 2/1962 Karasiewicz 160-133 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

J. KARL BELL, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

